The invention relates to improvements in methods for the continuous treatment of refuse such as garbage.
In the treatment of waste materials gathered in municipalities, the increase in volume and variety has caused a substantial increase in handling problems and expensive handling. The increase is caused due to the diversity of materials being handled and the increased consumption of the individual, but large increase is attributable to the growth of use of paper products in packaging and marketing. Such paper products pose a problem in the increase in volume and bulk of material and present a waste material which has the potential of utilization as a valuable by-product.
Processes heretofore used by small municipalities such as burning and burying have become very impractical in crowded areas and do not address the issue of the value of recovery of wastes. A significant by-product which has been addressed by various processes is the production of gas and the production of pulp products.